Reading Under the Covers: A Romance Novel Podcast

If your TBR has room for just one more book this summer… maybe make it eight. In this episode of the Reading Under the Covers podcast , I’m breaking down the most anticipated July 2025 book releases across romance, romantasy, thrillers, and more. We’ve got morally gray pirates, basement kidnapping (??), fated mates, courtroom rivals, cursed blades, and Lo Blacklock is back ! Whether you're a mood...

Author Virginia Heath joins me to chat about her newest historical rom-com Look Before You Leap , the second standalone in the Miss Prentice’s Protégées series. We talk about what makes a good grumpy/sunshine pairing, how Calamity Jane inspired her heroine, and why she threw a surprise house party full of desperate debutantes into the mix. She also shares some of her current favorite romance reads...

Welcome to the Novel Hour replay! In this week’s show, we’re diving into audiobook faves, wild book news (RIP TikTok’s publishing dreams), and the latest on Mindf*ck and Butcher & Blackbird adaptations. Plus, we've got new book releases you’ll want on your TBR ASAP. 🎧 Audiobook Recs You Need to Hear: Here are the ones we’re vibing with: The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs (narrated by Kiir...

We're halfway through 2025, so it's time for a mid-year reading check-in! In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, Francesca is joined by longtime guest reviewer Jen to talk about the standout books they've read so far this year. Expect a mix of vampire rereads, fantasy romance obsessions, underrated Kindle Unlimited gems, and spicy new releases they can’t stop thinking about. 👀 Highlights in...

This week on Reading Under the Covers, we’re bringing you the full replay of our Novel Hour Pride Month live show! ✨ We’re talking about queer books you should be reading all year , with a focus on fantasy, paranormal, and urban fantasy romance—including cozy vibes, chaotic shifter squads, slow-burn bodyguards, and soul-deep fated mates. You’ll also get fresh June 2025 new releases, what we’ve be...

Welcome back to the Reading Under the Covers Podcast ! Today’s episode is a replay of our Novel Hour live show from YouTube, where Francesca and Victoria celebrated Father’s Day with literary dad recs, single dad historical romances, and a roundup of this week’s new book releases. We also chatted about what we’re watching and gave our thoughts on some big upcoming book-to-screen adaptations ( Heat...

In this episode of Reading Under the Covers , I’m bringing you a replay of our Novel Hour live show all about summer reading vibes—complete with romance book recs, cozy mysteries, juicy thrillers, and even a multiverse salon love story. We also unpack some major bookish drama, from Sophie Lark’s mafia romances getting canceled in Ukraine to the controversy around James Frey’s new release and AI in...

In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, we’re back with a stacked lineup of June 2025 new releases across romance, fantasy, cozy mystery, and thrillers. If you’re a mood reader, there’s definitely something here for you—whether it’s a cozy Fae inn, a sexy second chance on a cruise ship, or a couple hiding literal dead bodies in their marriage. Books featured in this e...

Ready to fall for a grumpy Highlander... across timelines? 👀 In this episode of Reading Under the Covers , I’m sharing 5 time travel romance books that absolutely deserve more hype. These are the hidden gems you may not have heard of—but they bring everything from fake marriage plots and haunted manor houses to hockey players lost in Regency England and Austen-themed chaos. If you love stories wi...

This episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, is giving major book club energy. I’m joined by my longtime bookish BFF Amanda (we’ve been fangirling together since 2012!) for a cozy catch-up on everything she’s been reading and loving lately. We’re chatting about: 💬 Her obsession with cheating tropes 🐺 What to read if you loved Fourth Wing 💻 A steamy cam couple romance serie...

In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, we are sharing our Novel Hour live show replay for this week. This week on Novel Hour , Francesca and Victoria are back with a packed episode: Book recommendations with anxiety and mental health representation across genres The week’s hottest new romance releases (from superhero fake dating to cozy mysteries and fantasy finales)...

Get ready for a behind-the-scenes deep dive into the evolution of the romance genre with Erin Galloway, publicity director at Berkley. We’re talking everything from the rise of alpha-holes and billionaire heroes in the 2010s, to the explosion of rom-coms, monster clinch covers, and the TikTok takeover. Erin shares how reader behavior, media coverage, and marketing trends have shifted—and what’s co...

Welcome to Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, where we chat, fangirl, and maybe even swoon over our latest reads. This episode is our weekly Novel Hour Replay , featuring road trip romance recs, buzzy new May releases, and some spicy book world drama. Plus, we’re joined by indie romance author Kelly Reynolds to talk about her baseball romance series and Substack! 📺 Watch the YouTu...

Welcome to this week’s Bookish Brunch! If you’ve ever felt like your TBR needs a vibe check, same. This week I spiraled into some messy reality TV romance reads and shared a little bookish mail—including a DIY book nook I’m building soon 👀 Plus, I chat about why contemporary romance isn’t hitting for me lately, and what I’m doing to reset my reading mood. It involves a hot professor fanfic, cowbo...

Today on the Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast we’re diving into everything from Jewish American Heritage Month romance reads to the audiobook industry’s AI drama—and yes, we’re asking the internet’s burning question: Was Silver Elite written by AI? 📺 Watch the full live replay here We kick things off with joyful and heartfelt romance books by Jewish authors including: Flirty Litt...

Did Silver Elite by Dani Francis leave you wanting more? You're not alone. In this episode, I’m sharing steamy, high-stakes dystopian and post-apocalyptic romance books that actually deliver. These are the adult romance series (and one YA standout) that will give you everything Silver Elite teased—but didn’t quite pull off. We’re talking: ✔️ Enemies to lovers ✔️ Fated mates ✔️ Survival and rebelli...

From classic literary moms to paranormal stepmothers, we’re spotlighting our favorite mothers in fiction—just in time for Mother’s Day! Plus, we’re sharing the buzziest new May 2025 romance and mystery book releases (from Carly Fortune to Nalini Singh), chatting Met Gala hits and misses, and breaking down the fallout from A Million Lives Festival. We also discuss why a controversial former NHL pla...

It’s Taurus season, tourist season, and officially time to restock your romance TBR! In this episode of Reading Under the Covers , Francesca is sharing 9 must-read May 2025 romance book releases that hit all the right vibes—from fantasy slow burns and apocalyptic second chances to spicy academia and comic book crushes. If you’re a mood reader looking for friends to lovers, fanfic heroes, mermaids,...

Welcome to the Novel Hour Live Replay! In this special episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, we’re celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with a lineup of joyful reads across romance, fantasy, YA, and mystery—all by AAPI authors. Plus, we’re chatting about what we’re currently reading, what we’re watching (Real Housewives fans, we see you), an...

This week’s romance new releases are serving everything — from slow-burn romantasy and broody royal guards to a morbidly funny serial killer office fling and a Caribbean vacation that gets very hot. In this episode of Reading Under the Covers , Francesca shares the standout romance books hitting shelves between April 28 and May 4, 2025 — perfect for mood readers who love variety. 🎧 Books featured...

Welcome to Reading Under the Covers , a romance novel podcast where we chat, fangirl, and maybe even swoon over our latest reads. I'm Francesca from Under the Covers Book Blog , and today I’m joined by historical romance legend Eloisa James to talk about her newest release, Hardly a Gentleman — and so much more. This episode is for you if you love: Grumpy Scottish heroes who fish naked in streams...

If you love vampires that smolder, weather witches who flirt, and dragons hiding in the bayou, this episode is for you! Today on Reading Under the Covers , we're heading to one of the most magical and mysterious paranormal hotspots: New Orleans. 🌙✨ I'm sharing five paranormal romances that each bring a different kind of NOLA magic—from second chance vampire love stories to zombie survival romanc...

It’s time to get cozy with some claws, tentacles, and tusks—because for this week’s Romanceopoly prompt, we’re exploring monster romance ! In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast , I’m sharing five spicy, swoony, and emotionally-charged monster romance recs that are perfect for the Krampus Night prompt on the Amber Heights (Fall) section of your Romanceopoly board. Whe...

We’re diving into the romance books releasing this week—April 21 through April 27—including fake engagements, wolf shifters, summer healing, and small-town chaos. Plus, debut author Noel Stark joins us to talk about her new Hollywood rom-com Love, Camera, Action , her real experiences directing in the TV industry, and how that inspired the book’s steamy behind-the-scenes romance. 🧡 Books Featured...

Welcome to another Trope Talk episode of Reading Under the Covers , the romance podcast where we fangirl and maybe even swoon over our favorite reads. I'm Francesca from Under the Covers Book Blog, and today we’re diving deep into the fated mates romance trope—the kind of love story that’s soul-deep, magically bonded, and often completely out of the characters’ control. In this episode, we’re talk...